Fashionably early Damp Easter weekend aside, we’ve been pretty lucky with the spring weather so far and it seems we’re not the only ones making the most of it. On the bird front, settled conditions have, say our resident spotters, seen spring migrants flooding in. It’s time to welcome in the warblers: the olive-brown chiffchaff and the grey-green willow warbler already have territories well established. So too has the chattery blackcap, a grey-brown warbler complete with, yes, a neat little blackcap if it’s male, or a chestnut cap if it’s female.

Swallows, swifts and more to come We’re getting slightly overexcited about the return of our swallows and house martins too, seen darting through Oxfordshire skies. With their beautifully forked tails, whitish undersides and red throats, swallows cut one of the most distinctive silhouettes going, filling the skies or lining rooftops and telegraph wires. Nesting spots include sheds, barns and outhouses. House martins have shorter, blunter, tails and white undersides and rumps – spot them eyeing up your eaves for a suitable place to call home. Coming soon If that’s not enough, swifts, with their short, forked tails and top-notch flying skills – so talented they can even take a kip mid-flight – are also heading to a horizon near you. Plus it’s the perfect time of the year to hear that first cuckoo call which will come from attention-hogging males; females have a different ‘bubbling’ sound. We heard our first cuckoo at our Foxholes Nature Reserve on Sunday, April 5.

Where have they come from? Winging their way over from Africa, these birds cover thousands of miles, with wintering spots including Senegal for chiffchaffs and South Africa for swallows. With such lengthy journeys, good weather conditions are a bonus; thankfully this year, tailwinds have encouraged them to set off earlier and their trips have been quicker. But why bother long-hauling it over? Not only does the UK offer abundant food supplies – insects are top of the menu – but also suitable weather conditions for breeding. Some chiffchaffs and blackcaps are starting to spend winter here, too.

Where to spot them With factors including loss of nesting habitat and climate change putting spring migrants at risk, BBOWT is busily doing its bit to help, so head to one of our reserves to see them in action. Spot chiffchaffs at Chimney Meadows, Ardley Quarry and Rack Marsh, and blackcaps at Asham Meads or Glyme Valley. For general warbler action, Hook Norton Cutting is a good spot, or head to Parsonage Moor for a chance to hear cuckoos and Cholsey Marsh or Hartslock for swallows. For further details on BBOWT reserves log on to www.bbowt.org.uk